Almost everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the standard international distress call: “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” According to Wikipedia…
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by mariners and aviators, but in some countries local organizations such as police forces, firefighters, and transportation organizations also use the term.
The call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday") to prevent mistaking it for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions, and to distinguish an actual Mayday call from a message about a Mayday call.
For my own part, I’ve never found myself in a position to cry “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”, at least not in its authentic context. I am not a pilot and I don’t have boat! And even if I do one day take up either flying or boating, I hope I never have to utilize it!
But I am a Pastor who knows what it is like to have a calendar chock full of events in December. I am also a human being who knows that, if we are not careful, we can be so overwhelmed by all the activities leading up to Christmas that we almost lose sight of the purpose for which it exists, which is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
No doubt most everyone is busy getting ready for this big day. Its hard to believe that Christmas arrives on Thursday of this very week! Indeed, some, perhaps, are already gathering to celebrate in light of this coming day! My family and I certainly are doing all of the above throughout this entire week! And because of this, we know what it means to get a little stressed.
So, if you, like us, find yourself occasionally feeling a bit overwhelmed in this busy season, then why not stop periodically and call out to Heaven for help in staying focused and not losing site of what Christmas is all about. Ever so often, just have yourself a short “Mayday” moment. By that, I mean…
* May you let the Christmas GIFTS remind you of God’s greatest gift, His only Son.
* May you let the Christmas CANDLES remind you of Him who is the "Light of the world."
* May you let the Christmas TREES remind you of another tree upon which he died.
* May you let the Christmas CHEER remind you of Him who said, "Be of good cheer."
* May you let the Christmas FEAST remind you of Him who is "the Bread of Life."
* May you let the Christmas BELLS remind you of the glorious proclamation of His birth.
* May you let the Christmas CAROLS remind you of the son the angels sang, "Glory to God in the Highest!"
* May you let the Christmas SEASON remind you in every way of Jesus Christ our King!
Please be advised, however. Undertaking any of these steps is almost certain to refocus your thoughts and also to refresh your spirit! You might even find yourself experiencing a little joy amidst the hectic pace of activity the next few days so often imposes!
And now, until Christmas, I leave you with the following from the Apostle Paul (in 2 Corinthians 13:14): “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Amen.
SOURCE: My own copy of this little piece comes from a clipping in my files that was taken from an old church newsletter. A standard Google search will produce many such examples. See for example:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3185157/
newsletter.pdf.
The Wikipedia article is located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayday.
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by mariners and aviators, but in some countries local organizations such as police forces, firefighters, and transportation organizations also use the term.
The call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday") to prevent mistaking it for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions, and to distinguish an actual Mayday call from a message about a Mayday call.
For my own part, I’ve never found myself in a position to cry “Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!”, at least not in its authentic context. I am not a pilot and I don’t have boat! And even if I do one day take up either flying or boating, I hope I never have to utilize it!
But I am a Pastor who knows what it is like to have a calendar chock full of events in December. I am also a human being who knows that, if we are not careful, we can be so overwhelmed by all the activities leading up to Christmas that we almost lose sight of the purpose for which it exists, which is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
No doubt most everyone is busy getting ready for this big day. Its hard to believe that Christmas arrives on Thursday of this very week! Indeed, some, perhaps, are already gathering to celebrate in light of this coming day! My family and I certainly are doing all of the above throughout this entire week! And because of this, we know what it means to get a little stressed.
So, if you, like us, find yourself occasionally feeling a bit overwhelmed in this busy season, then why not stop periodically and call out to Heaven for help in staying focused and not losing site of what Christmas is all about. Ever so often, just have yourself a short “Mayday” moment. By that, I mean…
* May you let the Christmas GIFTS remind you of God’s greatest gift, His only Son.
* May you let the Christmas CANDLES remind you of Him who is the "Light of the world."
* May you let the Christmas TREES remind you of another tree upon which he died.
* May you let the Christmas CHEER remind you of Him who said, "Be of good cheer."
* May you let the Christmas FEAST remind you of Him who is "the Bread of Life."
* May you let the Christmas BELLS remind you of the glorious proclamation of His birth.
* May you let the Christmas CAROLS remind you of the son the angels sang, "Glory to God in the Highest!"
* May you let the Christmas SEASON remind you in every way of Jesus Christ our King!
Please be advised, however. Undertaking any of these steps is almost certain to refocus your thoughts and also to refresh your spirit! You might even find yourself experiencing a little joy amidst the hectic pace of activity the next few days so often imposes!
And now, until Christmas, I leave you with the following from the Apostle Paul (in 2 Corinthians 13:14): “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
Amen.
SOURCE: My own copy of this little piece comes from a clipping in my files that was taken from an old church newsletter. A standard Google search will produce many such examples. See for example:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/3185157/
newsletter.pdf.
The Wikipedia article is located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayday.